DeSpoon is a utensil designed to help the elderly with reduced dexterity eat one-handed. When the handle is squeezed, the spoon head opens up, allowing the user to easily pick up different types of food.

Our inspiration stemmed from our team members’ experience taking care of their grandparents. We noticed that a large number of the elderly prefer to eat with just a spoon and would only use their less dominant hand to help scoop food with a fork or knife only if necessary. This sparked the question of whether cutlery could be designed to enhance the one-handed eating experience. We found that products that enable one-handed eating do exist, but their designs possess certain inconveniences. Thus, we set out to create our own utensil optimised for elderly use.

DeSpoon has a design similar to a pair of scissor tongs. The spoon head opens when the user squeezes the handle of DeSpoon. By placing the food between the opening and releasing the handle, the halves of the spoon head close back together and pick up the food.

We started by researching existing solutions on the market and their main features and flaws. Next, we sketched and built multiple prototypes with the aid of 3D printing. Our initial design functioned similarly to tweezers, where the halves of the spoon head relied on the user continuously squeezing the handles to close DeSpoon. However, after testing the design with the elderly, we found out that when the elderly bring the food towards their mouths, their grip on the handle weakens and this design would frequently result in them dropping their food as they moved it closer to their mouths. We then shifted to a plier-like design with the pivot in the centre, which allows the user to better maintain the spoon’s open/closed state when he squeezes different sections of the spoon. Further testing was then conducted to refine its shape and size so that the user would find DeSpoon comfortable and easy to use.

DeSpoon is an improvement to the existing one-handed cutlery as its usage is not restricted to certain foods. Its ability to pick up food using the opening/closing mechanism allows it to be used in a wide variety of scenarios, unlike traditional hybrid cutlery like sporks. Furthermore, the compliant mechanism design used for the hinge is more durable compared to traditional pin joints, making it ideal for DeSpoon’s intended daily usage. Its simple design also means less dexterity is required to use DeSpoon as compared to regular chopsticks.

We are currently further developing the spoon to make it simpler and cheaper to produce, with the plan of providing it to as many people as possible. The goal is for DeSpoon to have a metal skeleton that is coated in silicone using a mould. We are also exploring the possibility of an all-plastic DeSpoon for use in buffets and restaurant takeaways. The idea is for caterers to provide a single plastic DeSpoon rather than a plastic fork and spoon.